It was a beautiful day, noted the blonde vampiress as she sat beneath a large white oak tree in the courtyard garden. The sun had since began setting on the beautiful autumn day, and Ophelia felt herself allowing her eyes to travel towards her bodyguard, Roman DeLuca. He wasn't far off from her, but she averted her eyes rather quickly as she looked to the pages before her that bore her neat script across them. In one week she would be able to plea her case to the council about the stupid marriage law. This wasn't centuries back!
Ophelia knew if given the chance she could rule this coven almost as well as her father had. She sighed, her fingers tangling into her mess of blonde locks. Her dress was annoying, and she turned to her right to see the walls that were built around the castle. How she desperately wanted out.
Finally, she stood, looking to Roman, as soon, they would be joined by Drake Burke. He only was allowed the night watches because the coven witches hadn't made him a daylight ring yet, which Ophelia found to be rubbish. She gathered her things and began towards the castle, knowing Roman wouldn't be far behind. He had been allowed to slack at night, when the coven was most active, because of Drake guarding her, but tonight would be different, that much was certain.
~
Drake awoke early, seeing as the sun was still just barely over the horizon. He groaned. Keeping an eye on Ophelia was easy, he had to admit, and she always shared thoughts with him when he asked her. Still, he rose from his satin sheets and dressed himself. His shift would start soon, meaning after about an hour, Roman would either bail on them or just... he didn't quite understand his partner. He was born to protect the female, and he was certainly privileged, so why didn't he try to continue to reaffirm his trust.
Perhaps Drake didn't understand because he was a turned vampire over a born one. Still, as he exited his room that was to the left of the princess's chambers, he saw her and Roman not far behind. "Mi'lady," he greeted with a small bow. She simply offered him a smile.
"Hello, Drake. Glad to see you're up." She said, stepping to her door and looking upon her bodyguards, a certain glimmer in her eye. "I shan't be long." She said as she disappeared into her chambers and Drake sighed. He had never quiet seen that glimmer in her eyes before, buy moments later when she exited her room, he could guess why.
She was in a pair of fitted, black trousers that she had tucked into her knee-high leather boots. She was wearing a white button down blouse as well, and she began pulling her hair back into a ponytail. "Mi'lady, where are we going?" Drake asked.
"Drake, you know you may call me Ophelia, and you shall see." She said, the glimmer in her eye still hadn't faded as she walked over to Roman and smiled. She placed a small kiss to his cheek, and she stepped back. "Since I doubt you want to tag along on one of my adventures, I wish you good night."
Adventures? Drake hadn't known she went outside the walls of the castle, and he wasn't entirely sure she was allowed, but he followed after her. "M- I mean, Ophelia, what are we doing?" He asked her, knowing thay this could be quite troublesome for him.
"We're going to the nearby human settlement, I need to look into something. I promise it will benefit you. I won't allow you to feed on them, as it is against my views to drink directly from human veins, hence why I drink blood given voluntarily by those we do business with. However, this may finally show my father that you are ready for a daylight ring. I know you must miss it." She explained and he paused for a moment before following her once more. He was beginning to hope Roman would come along.
They reached the outside, and the darkness had finally settled in, and it felt wonderful to be outside, but as they crossed the courtyard, towards the wall, he looked to her as she climbed the nearby tree and hoped on top of the wall. "Well, come along now."
Drake sighed and followed on suite as they dropped to the ground below and he looked to her. "Won't your father be angry?"
"Not if I am correct." She assured him as they began walking through the forest.
He watched the princess in silence like he normally did. The rough bark of the tree he was leaning against began to cut into his clothed back. The tall dark haired man crossed his arms over his chest before pushing himself away from the tree to follow after the blonde woman. He fell in step beside her but exchanged no words. It was his way to be a silent man, only speaking when he was talked to or when he felt it necessary to let his thoughts be heard.
Roman knew of the princess's habits of sneaking out of the castle to explore around the human settlements; there were times when he went along with her as well. In their younger years they had gone to the human settlements countless times. A light smirk played on his lips as he watched the younger male grew confused. Hardly anyone beyond himself and the princess knew of her antics and nightly habits. Roman liked to think that he knew the blonde woman the best; after all he had been by her side the longest. The dark haired male bent at the waist as the princess pressed a kiss to his cheek so she wouldn't have to strain herself to reach his cheek. Roman was quite tall, even taller than Drake was.
"Good night, Lia."
Despite his distant and cold personality the way in which he spoke her voice showed so much warmth from the normally cold toned man. Roman waited until the pair was safely over the wall and a distance into the forest before following after them.
On occasion he trailed after Ophelia when she thought he was doing something else, like drinking or gambling. Maybe the blonde woman knew that he did follow her and she just never brought it up. Just because he had placed a wall between them didn't mean that he cared any less for her. It was in his nature to be quite protective. Ophelia was the little lamb that he needed to guard like the dutiful shepherd he was.
Roman walked quietly through the forest along the path that he knew the princess would take.
---
With the night came silence that was punctuated by the occasional laughter of drunken men. Their voices carried out into the quiet street and down the block. With the night came the urgency to get home. The streets were empty save for a few staggering folks who were coming or going from the taverns. With the night came danger. With the night came the threat of becoming someone's meal.
For someone like her though, the night was comforting. There was nothing for her to fear. She could not be changed, she could not join them. In some ways she welcomed death with open arms; it meant that she would be free of the stigma she carried. She was unable to get a job due to her past. It wasn't drugs or crime that did her in, it was being attacked by one of them at a young age and remaining human.
Andromeda was different. She wasn't like normal humans; no one knew what she was exactly. Some rumors swirled around that she was the product of a vampire and human spending a night in passion. Some rumors swirled that she was the unholy spawn of a demon.
Her dark eyes took in the abandoned sidewalk before she deemed it safe to relax. The woman sat with her back pressed against the wall of a small shop that sold fancy looking hats if the window was anything to go by. Her clothes were messy and dirty from her latest attempt at a job; ss long as she kept her neck covered and no one knew who she was then she was safe during the day. At night she was able to take off the thick band of cloth that covered her scars. It was an itchy, uncomfortable material but it did it's job at hiding what it needed to without being too thin. Her latest venture in the job market had been at one of the butcher shops. She had been handling the customers and setting the meats out on display.
The cool night breeze felt wonderful on her heated and slightly sweaty skin. Maybe tonight she would be able to find a place to sleep and maybe a warm meal. She had been given some money from her job earlier thanks to the wife of the shop owner. Leaning her head back against the wall she let out a sigh and closed her eyes.
It never went well when she slept. There were always nightmares of her attacker; he was always in the back of her mind, taunting her. He was dead. He wasn't going to hurt her anymore; the hunters had made sure that he was put down after attacking and killing another young kid. There had been resentment that the little 'witch' as she was often called, had survived and the other kid - a boy a few years older than her -had died. It had been seventeen years since she last stepped foot in her home town. There were times when she would see someone that she remembered passing through. They would stop and stare before calling her a name and hurrying away.
She had seen the mother of the boy several times. Each time she cursed at her and yelled that it was unfair. Andi had never asked for this to happen to her; she never asked for this burden of guilt.
For a few minutes she was able to sleep peacefully until the face of her attacker appeared in her mind. She jumped and looked around with hazy eyes.
_Get ahold of yourself Andi. You're twenty-three years old for crying out loud! He isn't coming back to hurt you!_ She thought as she rubbed her eyes and settled back down once more on the side walk.
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SirensCall The Siren Hellspawn
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2 mos ago
Ophelia was glad to be away from the castle. It had been since Drake had been chosen as her newest bodyguard after the last was found attempting to kidnap the one he guarded. It was quite comical, especially when he found she was no ordinary princess who expected others to rescue her. In fact, before Roman even entered the room, she had him thrown against the wall. She let Roman take it from there, and though there had been some private debate about two new guards. Ophelia and her father argued about it for hours, but she stayed firm, and she also made a new point.
Without Roman, she swore to her father she would leave and never return. Her.mind was a bit hazed, but she still continued on. Drake wasn't far behind her, and soon she heard him speak. "Mi'lady, how long will we be gone?"
"Not very long, hopefully. I need to look into something." She answered. He sighed, his ears perked up and he turned his head as they continued on.
"Mi'lady, stay close. I feel as if we're being followed." He informed her, and she chuckled.
"Followed? Drake, don't be silly. Who would follow us outside the safety of castle walls?" She asked, and Drake shrugged. Not long after they settlement came into site and he could see drunkards walking about, entering the 'secret' pubs. It was hard to be this close to humanity and not feel the hunger. Ophelia, however, told him no drinking from the humans, so he wouldn't.
"What exactly were you wanting to look into?" Drake asked, as they entered the settlement, a few of the men looking at her.
"Someone, more or less. A St. Clare." Ophelia answered. Drake rose a brow as he flanked her right side, and watched her as she spoke. "My father and I used to study human lineage, and these caught our eye, as a prophecy was foretold. But that's a lesson for another day."
Drake rose a brow as they entered one of the pubs, and Ophelia sat at the bar with Drake. "What can I get for you two?" The bar keep asked.
Drake ordered a strong drink, and what Ophelia ordered made him wonder. From what he knew of the princess, he knew she didn't drink alcohol. So, when she ordered and place the drink beside her. He was very confused, but then he watched her lean over as the bar keep returned.
"Is there anyone around here with the last name St. Clare?" She asked, her eyes piercing his, and he nodded.
"She's a bit reclusive. Rumors have been flying around about her." He answered, and she smiled, seeing the look on his face as if he wasn't sure as to why he had told her that.
"Where is she?" She asked, and Drake looked to her ,feeling some eyes on them.
"Ophelia, we have some trouble." He whispered, and she looked to him.
"Don't draw any attention. Roman will be here soon, I am almost certain of it." She said, and Drake nodded, sitting back and letting his instincts take over as Ophelia leaned, intently listening, against the counter.
The tall man brushed his short dark hair from his forehead as he entered the human settlement and wandered around. He would let Ophelia do her own thing for a little while so he could look for some unlucky sap to play him in a game of dice. Roman hardly ever lost. Being alive for so long allowed him to perfect the art of cheating to a science, and most humans were either too drunk or too dumb to realize what he did to them, and those that knew well...he had a special way of making his escape. As he passed along one road that was bare, a lone figure sitting on the ground caught his attention.
The smell of animal blood was strong on the figure. Roman turned his attention towards the lump on the ground and found that it was a woman. She didn't look very old then again no humans ever seemed to look old to Roman, even if they were covered in deep wrinkles.
"Good evening..."
The woman greeted him first, her dark eyes were settled on him as he stopped. Roman was unsure why he had stopped in front of her. "Yes it is..." His voice was deep and pleasant to her ears.
Andi pushed a lock of hair behind her ear as she craned her neck to look at him. Her dark hair covered the scars on the side of her neck. "You better be careful out here. Bad things lurk in the night." Roman said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. An unfamiliar feeling of discomfort washed over him. The woman on the ground said nothing as a hollow smile came to her lips.
"It's nothing I can't handle."
This woman was making his skin crawl. There wasn't much physical distinction between the vampires and humans in the dimly lit streets. Many vampires would roam the streets of the human settlements every now and then without worrying about being caught so long as they kept themselves in check. The look in the woman's eye was unsettling. It felt like he was exposed. Roman rarely felt this way around anyone; it was beginning to irritate him.
"You be careful too, sir. There are people out there that would hurt someone like you." The woman turned her attention away from him and to something down the street. Roman didn't look back to see what it was. He gave the woman a polite nod and carried on his way. He needed to escape from there.
Once he was a safe distant from the woman, Roman let out a deep sigh.
It was time to find Ophelia.
He found her and Drake in a pub not far from the strange woman on the street. Roman stuck to the back of the room, scanning the faces for a few moments before heading up to the bar and ordering himself something to drink. For the most part he seemed to ignore the presence of the princess and her new guard, his new partner, beside him. Roman was a silent force, one that didn't need words to convey much. He wouldn't let the princess fall into harm’s way; he didn't need to announce it either.
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SirensCall The Siren Hellspawn
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Ophelia was learning everything she needed to, and as she listened to the bar keep, nodding to let him know that she was paying him her full attention, and she felt Roman enter as she was getting her answers. She looked to her drink and drank it, paying for hers and Drake's before she stood. Drake went to follow her and she gave him a look that spoke for itself and he sat down. As much as he knew he should follow her, even as she went outside, he knew to wait a moment.
A couple of the men in the back filed out behind her, and Drake moved as well, finding the woman he had sworn to protect down the street just in front of a woman who was sitting on the ground. The men he saw leave were watching as well, but he saw the princess look towards him, and he knew what that one meant. She could handle this. He gave a nod, finding Roman. "What is the deal with St. Clare?" He inquired, quietly to his partner, but soon his attention was drawn down the street.
Ophelia stood before the woman a gentle smile on her face. "Good evening," she greeted before offering her hand to the woman, the warmth that radiated from her not dying. "My name is Lia, what's yours?"
One man walked by and spoke. "Lost cause, she's a freak." He taunted, and Ophelia spoke.
"Only in the eyes of the beholder. The only opinion that matters is the one that one carries of themselves. You may believe she is a freak, but perhaps you say that because it is you who are the freak." She spoke, and the man offered an odd look before Ophelia turned to the woman before her. "Don't mind the men, most are horrifically blind, even if only figuratively."
Drake watched from afar as the princess spoke with the brunette woman before her. She was quite enchanting, and hearing Ophelia defend someone she had never met, he hadn't quite realized just how truly unbiased and pure she was. It was odd in a vampire, to be so human. Still the last thing he heard was a pair of men approaching them and he began moving.
"We've been looking for this one, but it looks like we're getting a bonus with this blonde." The larger man said, moving to place his hand on Lia, but when he did, she blinked her eyes and sighed.
"Let go, please." She spoke, her eyes piercing the man's as he did so, and soon Drake came and Ophelia held her hand up. "It's okay, brother. They were just leaving."
Drake watched as the larger man walked off, and the other followed, asking him a million questions, but.now he felt the brunette looking at him and he felt so exposed. "Father will be expecting us home soon." He spoke.
"Calm your nerves, Drake." She said, "Besides, _Father_ won't mind if I invite a guest over. In fact he quite enjoys meeting my guests."
Drake gave her a.look. "Please excuse me and my sister, I need to have a word with her." He said to the woman as he brought her away. "The hunters have been watching you the entire time."
"I am aware, but I found what I am looking for, and that woman needs our protection." She hissed. "They aren't staring at me, they have been watching her. If you had half a mind to pay attention to my conversation with the bar keep, you would have known that they have been watching her because of the rumors."
She went to move towards the woman again, but the men began closing in. "Drake, I could strangle you. I can't compel hunters, I am not like my father."
She continued anyway, and Drake followed after her, knowing Roman was there as well, but he didn't like this, and Ophelia looked to the woman. The men were close. "Do you know those.men? My brother.is slightly concerned with how they have been moving in as we've been speaking."
Roman sighed and looked into the dark cup before him. Understandably the younger male was on edge but Roman wished that he would learn to pay attention to the silent cues. Often non-verbal communication was the preferred method between Roman and Ophelia. One day the younger male would catch on.
He had opened his mouth to begin telling the younger male of what he knew about the clan but he was cut short when the man's attention went elsewhere.
"They are a clan of hunters, or were; no one knows what happened to them. Their history is deeply rooted into the history of the feuds between our kinds." Roman crossed his arms over his chest as he watched everything happening down the road. Unlike the younger male, Roman would not intervene until given an order or if he felt things were going too far. Many accused him of not caring enough for the princess or her safety. Roman cared, he cared probably a lot more than he should have but they didn't understand why he was so distant with her.
The brunette woman looked up at the blonde with widened eyes. Not many people freely approached her with kind tones. She had been expecting harsh, biting words that would leave a stinging in her heart but there were none. Instead the woman had offered her a hand. Andi reached out to clasp her hand but dropped it when the man spoke.
Her attention flicked to the man for a few seconds before she turned her gaze back to the woman. This woman is odd...she is one of them yet she is...so different...
Andi had dealt with the woman's kind on one than more occasions after her initial attack. They had propositioned her, as she seemed to be immune to their venom and they would be able to freely bite her without the worry of her turning. Some were rude, others were quite vile and they brought on spells of panic. There had been one though, a woman, who had offered her bed in exchange for a few little sips here and there. Andromeda had been desperate and the woman had offered her another option, one that was safer. She had lived with that woman, Camille, for three years.
Those three years had been the best of her life. Camille had been so attentive and kind and warm. She had given Andi a home and someone to love. Camille had made her nightmares stop. That happiness hadn't lasted forever though, and like all of her other encounters with hunters, Camille had been taken away from her and their shared home burnt to the ground.
The brunette woman pulled away from her thoughts when the woman's voice called to someone else. Looking up she found a dark haired man who lacked a ring. Andi studied him for a few moments before turning her attention back to the blonde woman. "Not really." Andi didn't know the men personally but she did know them by name, or at least what she thought were their names. They had been following her for a while now and she had learned a bit about them. "But I do know that that man over there has a daughter and a son, twins. And that one was orphaned at a late age but wants to build his family back up..."
When the men got too close for Roman's comfort he casually made his way to the forming group. He stayed far enough away from the group to remain largely unnoticed but the distance between them would be nothing if he was called into action.
The brunette stood to her full height and honestly Roman thought she would have been much taller. Andi pressed her back further into the brick wall behind her and her heart began to race wildly. Conflict usually brought on bouts of panic for her.
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SirensCall The Siren Hellspawn
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2 mos ago
Ophelia nearly cursed aloud when she saw the hunters closing in and Andi explained a couple of them to her. This could be very problematic. Ophelia simply wanted to help the young woman, having kept tabs on her for a while before she lost her. She felt deeply sorry for her, especially after what one of theirs did to her. Her father didn't know the full story, neither did Ophelia in her own right, but she knew way more than she let on. This poor girl had been through enough anguish in her life, and she had been hellbound to stop it. Because she felt responsible for her life being messed up since the vampire attacked her.
Drake and Roman were near her now, and the woman looked as if she were going to break down. She cast her eyes to Roman and gave a gentle nod. It wasn't a consenting nod to hurt anyone, but it wasn't that either. She trusted Roman completely, and it was a do as necessary thing as she looked to Andi. She needed to calm her down, but she wasn't sure how, and Drake was getting uneasy too. She sighed. "Drake, calm yourself." She said, authoritatively. He looked to her, shocked, her tone of voice had never been so authoritative before. He gave a nod and Ophelia looked to Andi again.
"Don't worry, they won't hurt you, we won't hurt you either, I promise." She attempted to reassure.the.young woman, and she gently linked her arm through hers and began walking down the street. "Just breathe."
Drake looked at Roman, he was beyond confused. He hadn't been past the castle walls since he had been turned, and he certainly hadn't known how to handle hunters, but he saw one heading towards Ophelia and the young woman, and he turned him towards him.
"Why are you following my sister and her friend?" He asked, and he felt it. The calm... he had no clue that the princess could do such things to other vampires. The man crossed his arms.
"Her friend?" He scoffed. "That woman is cursed, no person in their right mind would go near her."
"You must make sure of that." Drake spat, but the princess called for him.
"Brother! Please come here." She said, and he glared to the man before he walked over to Ophelia, and she pierced his eyes and he felt odd. "Protect her with your life, Drake. Take her home, into my quarters, and I swear if any harm befall her, you will meet a rather angry version of me."
Drake listened to her, and though every part of him was against it, He looked to Andi. "I will keep you safe, with my life." He assured her and he watched as Ophelia walked back, towards the man he had once been speaking with and she stood her ground.
"Sir, why were you going to follow my friend and me?" She inquired, and he shook his head. "Because it would be rather unwise. Father is a bit of a manic man."
"Must run in the family." He said, and Ophelia sighed a bit.
"Perhaps. But, you and your friends, who I already can tell are trying to follow, should find a new person the prey on." She said, and she looked to Roman again. It was time, and she wouldn't allow Drake to do this because she knew he couldn't fend off the thirst long.enough, having been a turned one.
She saw the man go to grab her and she moved, quickly, turning his arm up behind his back and forcing him to the ground. "Bad idea."
Physical contact had never been something that she enjoyed. The last time she had been grabbed by someone, they had greedily sucked the blood from her veins. She was uneasy when the pretty blonde linked their arms together but she swallowed down the bubble of nervousness and prayed that finally she would be helped. Her life was not ideal, it was not the kind of life that anyone wanted, it was not a beautiful tragedy; it was one that she would not wish on her greatest enemy. It was hell. The cold night air soothed her nerves slightly as she took a deep breath and gently exhaled it. Since that day so many years ago she had learned to fight for her life. If these people were willing to help her to live to see another morning then she would gladly go with them.
The hunters wanted to exterminate her like a rat hiding in the nooks and crannies of their home. She was not some miracle child that had remained perfectly human. She was a pest just like the prey the hunters chased. As she was passed to another, she looked around at the scene before her.
The tall man from before caught her attention; he was looking past her at the blonde woman with a darkening expression. He was waiting for the right moment to strike. His muscles were tensed to the point where Andi found herself rubbing her arm as a reaction. "I told you that there were things out at night that could even hurt you."
The voice of the brunette woman caught Roman off guard. His eyes moved from Ophelia for a few seconds to the brunette woman before the sounds of a small scuffle reached his ears. The princess was capable to handling herself but he couldn't help but to react. Roman angrily grabbed one of the hunters by the throat as he went in to ambush the princess from behind.
This was the side that Roman fought to control, the one that he feared the most. In his younger days he had been involved with an underground gambling ring that pitted people against each other in fist fights. Roman had made a name for himself, the money wasn't bad and he had kept it hidden from the princess for a while. He could explain the bruises and split lips until she had grown suspicious. After a confrontation with Ophelia about his gambling habits he quit and resigned himself to simple card and dice games.
The wriggling man in Roman's grasp was scratching at his hand with blunted nails. Although his feet were firmly planted on the ground the man was kicking around, determined to get away. His shoes dug into Roman's feet and shins in his attempt to free himself.
"STOP!"
A scream made Roman release the man. He crumpled into a wheezing heap on the ground and the tall man turned towards the sound of the voice. It was the dark haired woman. She was shaking and there were tears in her eyes. Why hadn't Drake left with the woman when he was ordered to do so? Why had the woman been allowed to see this?
Roman delivered a swift kick to the downed man before turning his attention to Ophelia. It was in that instant that another hunter, one that had been tucked away in the shadows like Roman had been, chose to reveal himself. He swung at Roman and it took a few moments for the weapon to register in Roman's mind. It was a dagger. The sharp sting of a fresh cut and welling blood made Roman jump back. His arm was bleeding through the dark coat he chose to wear. He had managed to dodge further injury thanks to the crumpled man on the ground. He had reached out to his comrade for help, only to accidentally trip the man. The wound on Roman's arm wasn't very large or deep, but it was in an area of his arm that made moving it difficult. He wouldn't be able to protect Ophelia with a half working arm. He knew from years of experience that some hunters liked to wound their prey with daggers or swords before moving in with their wooden stakes.
One of Roman's old gambling buddies met an unfortunate end that way.
The downed man finally stood up and charged once more at Roman, only to be met with a rock to the side of the face. The blow wasn’t enough to do much beyond stun the man for a few moments.
The brunette still hadn't left. Anger flared within Roman, Drake was supposed to be at the castle by now with the human in tow. He didn't know why they were standing there instead of running.
Andi ducked when the rock was chucked back at her. It had been stupid of her to demand to stay but the blonde was the first person in a while to be nice to her. She wanted to help them. Camille flashed in her mind before she took a step back and clenched her hands at her sides to stop their shaking. It had been a lucky hit with the rock and she was sure that she couldn't do it again.
"Take her and run!" Roman shouted at the dark haired male.
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Ophelia was a strong woman, despite her normally calm demeanor. And once her.mind registered that Roman was hurt, her eyes had done something no human had seen. They blackened, and her own rage set in. "GO NOW!" She shouted, and Drake obeyed this time. The brunette had protested before, but now, Ophelia's voice had overtaken him and Roman yelling too made him lifted the woman and he took off full speed, and when they were near enough to the castle he saw she hadn't been harmed from the speed and let out a breath.
"I do apologize." He said, and he gently took her hand and led her to the castle gates that were only a bit away, and stood near her and waved to the guard who opened up for them. He did as Ophelia instructed him to. "Please stay close to me." He said, and he led her into the castle, up to Ophelia's quarters and allowed her to enter, following in behind her. "Make yourself comfortable. They should be back soon."
The feeling in his gut didn't go away. He shouldn't have been forced to leave while hey fought. He knew that Ophelia favored Roman, hence her confession to him. She had.told him about her father wanting for Roman to no longer guard her, and she told Drake how she had felt about it and how Roman had stayed because of her.
But he watched out the window, waiting.
-
Ophelia managed to contain her anger long enough for Drake to get Andi out of harm's way. Then it wasn't pretty. She moved faster than most knew she could and she smashed Hunter 's head into a nearby wall and helped Roman take care of the remaining one before she grabbed his uninjured arm and ran. She had calmed, her eyes returning to normal, and she stopped when they were near the castle and she had tears in her eyes.
"I am so sorry, Roman." She said, frantically looking at his arm to see how bad the wound was. "I had hoped that this wouldn't happen. I never wanted anyone to get hurt, especially you." She said, and soon she saw one of the gate guards come with her father, who looked rather angry.
"Ophelia!" He growled, but he saw how frantic his daughter was, and looked to Roman. "We will discuss this when we get inside, you have a lot to explain."
"Father, it can wait." She said in retort to her father.
"Come, Roman, We will get you fixed up. You have explaining to do yourself." He was apparently angry.
"It was.my fault, father. I snuck away, I got.us into this, but it-" She began, but she was cut off.
"Throne room, twenty minutes." He said as he took Roman away, and Ophelia felt her heart drop. She shook her head and nearly flew into her quarters and saw Drake and the woman there.
"Mi'lady, where is Roman?" He asked.
"Father.is tending to him. I have some explaining to do." She said, now calm. She.looked to the woman. "I apologize for what happened back there, I was hoping that it wouldn't result in violence. I would like to ask for your company in the throne room, when I go to explain my actions to my father. We will tend to you more delicately after the fact. Get you some food and some warmer clothes, as well as set you up with any other amenities you find that you need."
Drake looked to her. "Mi'lady, I apol-"
"You did nothing wrong, I ordered you to go against your oath. It was my fault." She said, turning back to the woman. "If you don't want to accompany me, I understand, I will have someone come to tend to your needs. If you will excuse, I need to check on Roman."
She left and Drake looked to Andi. "I will escort you to the throne room, if you so choose."
It had been quiet until the blonde woman entered the room. Her voice was calm but there was something off with her posture and the way she presented herself to them. Andi wondered what was wrong with the woman until the name 'Roman' appeared again. He was the tall man, wasn't he? For a few moments Andi wondered if the tall man had been hurt but she let the thoughts drop quickly.
When the woman left Andi sat on one of the plush chairs that was pushed against the wall before rubbing the scars on her neck. It was a habit she had formed over the years when she was in deep thought. Camille had often commented on the habit and Andi had only ever joked about it.
Was she presentable in a throne room? Her dress with its tattered and dirty hem hardly seemed worthy to be in such a grand place. Her clothes still smelled of animal blood from her latest job and she didn't think that she could keep on hiding her scars with her hands or her hair. Her makeshift bandage had been lost in the scuffle and without it she felt nude. Her neck was almost always covered up by something. After a few moments of thinking things over Andi made her decision. "Take me to the throne room."
~*~
Roman had been patched up with a few stitches before the doctor quietly left the room to allow the King to talk to Roman. It was more of a one-sided conversation than anything else. Roman was quiet like always although he answered when he felt it was necessary. He assumed that being asked about how he was injured would count towards needing to speak up.
"I was protecting her." Roman sat a little straighter and looked at the King. "I was making sure that she or the human woman would not fall into harm's way."
They never agreed on what was best for Ophelia. Roman wanted her to be free to make her own choices and to fight her own battles. Her father on the other hand, wanted his daughter to live a sheltered life where she was never harmed and if any harm was to come, there would be someone else to take it. With the rift growing between the two men it was hard for many people to be in the same room as them. They cast a heavy shadow over everyone and everything.
"She is my daughter." The king hissed out. His eyes narrowed as he studied Roman with a cold stare. "She does not need your so called protection!" It was no surprise that the king placed his daughter's safety above all else, his wife had perished many years ago and he did not want the same fate for his daughter.
Roman was quiet as the king sized him up once more. "You will no longer guard her." He spat out. "It's obvious that you can't even protect yourself." With that the king stalked out of the room, leaving Roman in silence.GM
SirensCall The Siren Hellspawn
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Ophelia stopped before the door she knew Roman and her father were behind. Of course they were in the throne room already, and what she was hearing highly displeased her. And then her father said the words they had fought about long before and she practically threw the door off it's hinges when opened it. "That's it! I have heard enough!"
"Don't you start, my decision is final." He firmly stated, and she nodded.
"Then I will be out of the castle tomorrow, as we have discussed." She said, and he looked to her. "Or are you so wrapped in the fact that I left, that you don't want to know the purpose?"
"You saved a human." He said.
"Not just, a human, father, the human." Ophelia said, and she turned to see Drake and Andi there. "Father, her name is Andromeda St. Clare."
"St. Clare?" He asked, calming considerably. "But how?"
"The nights I leave the walls. You expect me to rule without being informed, but father, I need to be informed. I am not like mother was." She said, and she saw Drake bring Andi closer. Her father's eyes flashed hot, but they quickly moved towards the human.
"And why is Drake with her?" He asked.
"Because Drake was the one who accompanied me out. I thought that him being human once, he would be able to help Me. St. Clare where we would fail." She said. "It was why I chose Drake to begin with. I have never needed more than Roman, and even tonight he proved his willingness to put me above everyone else. Besides, at night Drake is my main guard at night because he hasn't been given the privilege to walk in the day."
Her father sighed and bright himself before Andi. "Hello, Me. St. Clare, I am Viktor, king of this coven, and I am honored to meet your presence." He motioned for a female not far off and she came over. "This is Angela. She is a witch, and she will tend to your needs while my daughter and I discuss some things. Drake will be with you."
Ophelia looked to her father. "If you're still bent on taking Roman from me, I will be out of the castle tomorrow."
He shook his head. "I don't understand why him."
"Because," she began looking to Roman, "he is all I have ever known."
-
It was odd, taking orders from someone other than Ophelia, but he led Andi into the throne room, and Ophelia was doing.her best to keep her cool. He had never seen her and her Father going at it like this. And then the next series of events wasn't what he expected, and then he went to follow the women away. "And make Drake a ring while you're at it!" The king shouted, and he looked back towards Ophelia who was taking it all so easily.
He followed the women into the kitchen-dining area, and the woman smiled. "Let's get you something to eat, my dear, and then we will go meet with Sadie and get you some different clothes. And Drake, you will meet with Pene while we do that for.your ring."
Drake.nodded, and he watched as the woman began waiting on Andi, happily. He shook his head, but was glad he.would be able to be out in the day again. He couldn't believe it all.
Roman melted into the background as he observed the king and his daughter. The two were alike in many ways, at least in Roman's eyes. They were both stubborn and it was rather unfortunate to be caught in the middle of their stubbornness. He released a soft sigh and gently cradled his injured arm to his chest.
His attention turned towards the human woman and Drake when they entered. The woman was a few steps behind Drake with her hands fisting the material of her dark colored dress nervously. There would have been a time that Roman was once like her; nervous to be in the same room as the king.
The feeling of unease came again when his eyes met the dark eyes of the woman. "I told you that there were things that could hurt you." Her attention slipped away from the tall man and to the one that had approached her. She politely bowed her head before standing up a little straighter before playing with her hair so it would fall over the scars. There was no doubt that they knew what was on her neck, with the way the blonde had placed emphasis on "the human." Was she special to them because she had not been turned?
"It is nice to meet you." Andi said softly before turning her attention to the witch that was summoned.
Roman found some relief when Andi was taken from the throne room. "What is so special about her?" He asked finally as he pushed himself away from the wall. "I know that she is part of the St. Clare's and the only human we know of that seems to have immunity to being turned. But why her? Aren't there others that have not been turned?"
~*~
Andi followed the witch and the vampire guard. Blood rushed to her cheeks as she was dotted on by the woman. This treatment was different than the treatment she was given hours before by passing strangers and even her employer. It was a little uncomfortable for her to be treated with such kindness and care. Andi was used to doing everything by herself.
"Why am I here?" She looked to Drake for the answer. He seemed close with the blonde woman and maybe he could tell her everything. For a few moments she wondered if he knew of Camille or not; those thoughts were quickly brushed to the side as a plate was set in front of her.GM
SirensCall The Siren Hellspawn
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2 mos ago
Ophelia and her father were staring each other down, words melting away before Roman's question came upon their ears. Ophelia looked to her father who looked away from her. She sighed and looked to Roman. "Actually, no. She has been the first human who has been immune to vampirism to our knowledge. There may have been others elsewhere, but not known to this coven." She explained, "But that's not exactly why she's so special."
"Ophelia, no." Her father said, "We were never fully certain on the details."
"You weren't, I was. I felt bad that she has gone through such hardship, so I kept tabs on her." She admitted and he looked to her. She looked to Roman again, "I am sure you know of the St. Clare hunting clan, and how their history works. For a time I had assumed that hunters would want to use her blood, try and change it, to weaponize it somehow. Instead, they find her a threat to their way of life, at least to my assumption, and want her dead."
"But, the fact she survived the vampire she did, at the age she was, that is he real mystery." Her father spoke, and Ophelia gave him a look. "If he is to stay, I suppose he must know."
Ophelia nodded. "He should have known long ago."
He waved off his daughter's remark before speaking again. "Royal lineage has different abilities, as I am sure you have seen in my daughter and myself. Our venom is different too because of its purity. Its more lethal. About a hundred years ago, I had a son, kept out of knowledge became he wasn't pure blood."
Ophelia sighed, and she shook her head when her father stopped. "He had relations with a human, but it was found that his son's vampire lineage showed through, and his venom was just as vicious as ours. He attacked the little girl in a bout of rage. I tried to find him before the hunters did, but I just couldn't. Then I caught word that the child survived... it's unheard of."
Her father closed his eyes. "We have been studying her lineage, but there is.nothing there aside from her hunting relations. So, Ophelia, once the attack happened, made a vow to protect this human and once the time came, she would find a way to repay her.for the suffering She underwent at the hands of one of ours."
"And she will be protected and repaid. Her suffering had been great, and she deserves a good life. A life she could have had." Ophelia said, and he rolled his eyes.
"Leave me, both of you. Ophelia, you and I will meet alone in the garden tomorrow.morning." he said, and Ophelia nodded.
"Yes, father." She said, leaving to room and heading towards her quarters.
--
Drake watched as Andi was pampered by the witch as another waited to his need. Then her question came into hos mind and the witches even paused a.moment before going back to their work. He thought for a long.moment before he finally began to answer. "To be honest, I am not entirely sure. The princess may share her thoughts with me.on occasion, but she is also very private."
The witch scoffed. "Come now, Drake, you have to know by now that the princess is different."
Drake gave a look. "I know that."
"Obviously not enough. There.has never been a turned bodyguard for the royal family, but Princess Ophelia insisted on you. Just like her diet..."
"Andromeda, I may not.know her full intentions, but I do know that Princess Ophelia is a good hearted person. She helps those in need if she can, and she had mentioned once before that if she could fix things for something that happened long ago, she would. If you were that person, she means to help you because she feels whatever happened was her fault." Drake said.
Drake felt a ring be placed on his finger. "Now if you wouldn't mind, we have some clothes for the young lady to try on, please stand on the outside of the door."
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